The Joy of Circles - They Make the World Go Round
Covers with circular motifs keep catching my eye recently, which got me thinking about circles in general, and their meanings. And once I started, I realised that they are literally everywhere.
They're found in nature (the sun, pebbles on a beach, ripples in water), they're used in religion (in Chinese symbology they represent the heavens, and are found as haloes in Christianity), and they also pervade our language: “circle of friends,” “coming full circle,” “circle of life.” (Sing it, Elton!)
Overall, they symbolically represent unity, the infinite, and wholeness.
The creative use of circles on book covers isn't a new thing. The Casual Optimist first noted the trend way back in 2014 and it continues to this day.
It's easy to see why. Circles are just really pleasing to the eye, perhaps because we're so familiar with them. They can also contrast nicely with the squareness of a book cover.
They direct the eye towards the center, like the bullseye at the center of a dartboard. Designers Richard Bravery and Kelly Blair use that effect particularly well on these covers.
The solar system is made of up circular planets going about their circular business, so it's a no-brainer for a designer to decide to incorporate them into their covers, whether it's for fiction or non. It's a nice touch when the text follows the same path.
My particular favourites, though, are the ones that use the circles to include extra design details pertinent to the story within, such as these:
Long live the circle!
Editor, artworker and lifelong bibliophile.